Fier is an important industrial city and is built by the Gjanica tributary of the Seman river, and is surrounded by marshland. With nearby Patos town, it is the centre of the oil, bitumen and chemical industries in Albania. Fier is a convenient place to stay to visit the major Classical sites at nearby Byllis and Apolonia. The population is mixed Orthodox and Muslim (typical of southern Albanian cities). Main roads from the central square lead south to Vlora (35 km/22 mi) and east to the oil and chemical town of Patos (8 km/5.0 mi)
